LD - 1. Slave and King (1) (unedited)
The king had a dream about a slave.
In the dream, he lived dozens of years as the slave. His dream was so vivd that he thought the life was real. When the king dreamt of being a slave, he even forgot that he was a king.
In his dream, dozens of years had passed, but in reality little time had passed.
The king woke up and looked around.
Within the luxurious golden bedroom, faithful vassals were on their knees and high priests were praying for his complete recovery.
“Your majesty, your deceptive dream is only a curse. Please overcome it.”
Suddenly, the king had a thought.
Did the slave dream of being a king, or was a king dreaming of becoming a slave?
Which is the dream and which is reality?
***
“Han Seo Jin-ssi, what did the hospital say?”
As he stood in line with his work uniform on, his coworker asked that in passing.
“I will know the results when they come out.”
“Don’t worry too much. Everything will be fine. There are many misdiagnoses of cancer at the early stages. Han Seo Jin-ssi, you are young, so it can’t be cancer.” Spoke the 40 year old coworker without worry, but Han Seo Jin couldn’t readily agree.
The doctor’s complexion seemed extremely poor when meeting him.
“Mhm, to begin with, they have to take a biopsy again. Then there will be another discussion after the results of the biopsy are out.”
An ominous feeling arose from the multiple interrogations in the past. Each time the results came out, the doctor would later conceal the truth of his results.
Han Seo Jin was working at the assembly line, and then looked down at his chest. He kept thinking about the doctor’s facial expression. His heart raced faster than usual.
‘If it really is cancer, then what should I do?’
His every thought made him feel hopeless.
When he was young, his parents divorced and pushed the family to poverty. With his sister, the two siblings relied upon their mother’s support for basic living needs.
Soon after graduating high school, he got an assembly job at a semiconductor factor. After 4 years of working 3 shifts a day, he earned a large sum of money. Though to others, this was not a large sum of money.
However last year, his mother withdrew all his money and vanished without a trace. She had eloped with a man she met in a restaurant.
“Idiot, why did you entrust all your salary to mom? I told you to do withdrawals yourself.”
His younger sister criticized him with tears in her eyes. It is heartbreaking for a mother to abandon her children for something less important like money.
She even broke contact with them completely by getting rid of her cell phone number. He still doesn’t understand how she could be so cold.
Han Seo Jin glared at the process line.
The conveyor belt had an abundance of products riding it. At each section, there were employees getting immersed in working. He was one of them.
Time for work.
Now, he put aside his grudges against his mother and worry for his disease.
“Get up. Lunchtime is over.”
Thump. He glanced at the hand that patted his shoulder.
“Han Seo Jin-ssi, you’ve been taking multiple short naps lately. Come to think of it, you’ve lost a lot of weight. Is your body alright? Why don’t you go see your doctor?”
Han Seo Jin awkwardly smiled at his worried coworker. He had already went to the hospital, his diagnosis was either cancer or something else he did not know.
“I know, my body has been too tired lately. At random moments, I would fall asleep for an extended amount of time.
“That is unexpected fatigue. Don’t forget to take vitamins for it. Don’t you know you should take care of your body while you’re young?”
“Thank you so much for the concern.”
“Let’s go in now.”
Han Seo Jin dragged his sluggish body. His head throbbed as the sun shone down on him. A headache suddenly formed, causing sleep to seem as a sweet dream.
‘This wretched headache…’
He scowled his eyes.
Was this headache related to cancer? They did not examine him for brain tumors.
After lunch ended, Han Seo Jin continued to work the process line. He repeatedly executed his job assignment at his spot.
Coworkers tend to find such repetitive simple work to be boring, but Han Seo Jin thought this type of work was great. Compared to his poverty-ridden childhood, being able to work for a living was a blessing.
‘The results of the examination come out tomorrow. I’m sure its nothing.’
Han Seo Jin calmed himself down, and continued his role as a simple gear in the huge factory.
After he finished his 3 shifts, it was time to go home. But a part of the coworkers left to have some alcohol.
Han Seo Jin did not want to associate with that group. He went home and entered his bathroom to wash up.
On the mirror, a face that was more gaunt than before appeared before him. He scowled and washed his face.
Due to his poor appetite, he prepared for a simple dinner. He reluctantly ate some spoonfuls and laid down in his sick bed.
‘It will be alright. It will be alright…’
He repeated this mentally until he fell asleep.
***
He awakened and saw a bright chandelier.
The king sluggishly arose from the bed and blinked as he looked around the room. Thin veils hung over the bed, and he could see a beautiful woman holding silver containers of wine. Their eyes met and she immediately proceeded to bow to the king.
“Where is this…”
A mind-splitting headache surged into his head. In his confusion, the events between dreams and reality entangled with each other. Multiple words invaded his head.
Republic of Korea. Lenorjian. Han Seo Jin. Arthur. Slave. Lofty king. Dream. Curse. And traitor.
Who is Han Seo Jin, and where was he? Who am I, where am I...
“Your majesty, wake up.”
A vassal’s voice, like cold water, brought him to his senses. He was confused about his dizzying memories that abruptly appeared.
Instantly, the king understood the situation.
Which is a dream, which is reality.
Kneeling in front of him was the faithful Archmage, Noshina. He observed quietly and opened his mouth.
“With my permission… tell me how long was I asleep?”
A tanned maid politely replied. “4 hours, your majesty.”
“Unfortunately, we failed this time.”
The king continued to speak calmly.
“I do not understand everything that happens in the dream. I did not know who I am or my name. I did not understand the events that occured in the dream. The curse is very powerful. The wish to move the dream to one’s desires is difficult. Currently, it’s best to continue enduring it.”
So one month’s dream is one hour in reality. Han Seo Jin is just an imaginary person from the dream, not him. The king let a shabby slave-like life, lacking almost everything.
The king mumbled to himself.
“Curse… this curse has worked for so long, about a year.”
The old vassal urgently bowed forward, as if rebuked by the king.
“Sorry, your majesty. Your servant’s ability is too poor… your servant will bet on his life on finding the cure. We will, without fail, solve your curse!.”
“I am not reprimanding you.”
The king silently shook his head in disagreement.
The intense confusion he had when he first woke up, already disappeared.
“How is the Karsharai clan doing? Are they still imprisoned in their fief?”
“Your majesty.”
The old vassal hardened his face and spoke heavily.
“They were one in-laws with the royal family, but now they are a traitorous family. Confining one’s family in their fief already goes against the law. We are already bending the laws for them.
“...”
“Please do not weaken your heart more. Your subjects petition for the extermination of the Karsharai family has reached the heavens. The Karsharai family must be punished. Please reach a decision about this.”
The king let out a bitterful laugh.
Earl Karsharai. The Earl, who sired the Queen, was once a noble who received the people’s love. Overnight, they were branded as a treasonable family, and imprisoned since long ago to work on their fief.
The old vassal, like a overboiled kettle of water, advised in a grave tone.
“The traitor boldly placed an ancient curse on your majesty, why give mercy to that family?”
LD - 1. Slave and King (1) (unedited)
The king had a dream about a slave.
In the dream, he lived dozens of years as the slave. His dream was so vivd that he thought the life was real. When the king dreamt of being a slave, he even forgot that he was a king.
In his dream, dozens of years had passed, but in reality little time had passed.
The king woke up and looked around.
Within the luxurious golden bedroom, faithful vassals were on their knees and high priests were praying for his complete recovery.
“Your majesty, your deceptive dream is only a curse. Please overcome it.”
Suddenly, the king had a thought.
Did the slave dream of being a king, or was a king dreaming of becoming a slave?
Which is the dream and which is reality?
***
“Han Seo Jin-ssi, what did the hospital say?”
As he stood in line with his work uniform on, his coworker asked that in passing.
“I will know the results when they come out.”
“Don’t worry too much. Everything will be fine. There are many misdiagnoses of cancer at the early stages. Han Seo Jin-ssi, you are young, so it can’t be cancer.” Spoke the 40 year old coworker without worry, but Han Seo Jin couldn’t readily agree.
The doctor’s complexion seemed extremely poor when meeting him.
“Mhm, to begin with, they have to take a biopsy again. Then there will be another discussion after the results of the biopsy are out.”
An ominous feeling arose from the multiple interrogations in the past. Each time the results came out, the doctor would later conceal the truth of his results.
Han Seo Jin was working at the assembly line, and then looked down at his chest. He kept thinking about the doctor’s facial expression. His heart raced faster than usual.
‘If it really is cancer, then what should I do?’
His every thought made him feel hopeless.
When he was young, his parents divorced and pushed the family to poverty. With his sister, the two siblings relied upon their mother’s support for basic living needs.
Soon after graduating high school, he got an assembly job at a semiconductor factor. After 4 years of working 3 shifts a day, he earned a large sum of money. Though to others, this was not a large sum of money.
However last year, his mother withdrew all his money and vanished without a trace. She had eloped with a man she met in a restaurant.
“Idiot, why did you entrust all your salary to mom? I told you to do withdrawals yourself.”
His younger sister criticized him with tears in her eyes. It is heartbreaking for a mother to abandon her children for something less important like money.
She even broke contact with them completely by getting rid of her cell phone number. He still doesn’t understand how she could be so cold.
Han Seo Jin glared at the process line.
The conveyor belt had an abundance of products riding it. At each section, there were employees getting immersed in working. He was one of them.
Time for work.
Now, he put aside his grudges against his mother and worry for his disease.
“Get up. Lunchtime is over.”
Thump. He glanced at the hand that patted his shoulder.
“Han Seo Jin-ssi, you’ve been taking multiple short naps lately. Come to think of it, you’ve lost a lot of weight. Is your body alright? Why don’t you go see your doctor?”
Han Seo Jin awkwardly smiled at his worried coworker. He had already went to the hospital, his diagnosis was either cancer or something else he did not know.
“I know, my body has been too tired lately. At random moments, I would fall asleep for an extended amount of time.
“That is unexpected fatigue. Don’t forget to take vitamins for it. Don’t you know you should take care of your body while you’re young?”
“Thank you so much for the concern.”
“Let’s go in now.”
Han Seo Jin dragged his sluggish body. His head throbbed as the sun shone down on him. A headache suddenly formed, causing sleep to seem as a sweet dream.
‘This wretched headache…’
He scowled his eyes.
Was this headache related to cancer? They did not examine him for brain tumors.
After lunch ended, Han Seo Jin continued to work the process line. He repeatedly executed his job assignment at his spot.
Coworkers tend to find such repetitive simple work to be boring, but Han Seo Jin thought this type of work was great. Compared to his poverty-ridden childhood, being able to work for a living was a blessing.
‘The results of the examination come out tomorrow. I’m sure its nothing.’
Han Seo Jin calmed himself down, and continued his role as a simple gear in the huge factory.
After he finished his 3 shifts, it was time to go home. But a part of the coworkers left to have some alcohol.
Han Seo Jin did not want to associate with that group. He went home and entered his bathroom to wash up.
On the mirror, a face that was more gaunt than before appeared before him. He scowled and washed his face.
Due to his poor appetite, he prepared for a simple dinner. He reluctantly ate some spoonfuls and laid down in his sick bed.
‘It will be alright. It will be alright…’
He repeated this mentally until he fell asleep.
***
He awakened and saw a bright chandelier.
The king sluggishly arose from the bed and blinked as he looked around the room. Thin veils hung over the bed, and he could see a beautiful woman holding silver containers of wine. Their eyes met and she immediately proceeded to bow to the king.
“Where is this…”
A mind-splitting headache surged into his head. In his confusion, the events between dreams and reality entangled with each other. Multiple words invaded his head.
Republic of Korea. Lenorjian. Han Seo Jin. Arthur. Slave. Lofty king. Dream. Curse. And traitor.
Who is Han Seo Jin, and where was he? Who am I, where am I...
“Your majesty, wake up.”
A vassal’s voice, like cold water, brought him to his senses. He was confused about his dizzying memories that abruptly appeared.
Instantly, the king understood the situation.
Which is a dream, which is reality.
Kneeling in front of him was the faithful Archmage, Noshina. He observed quietly and opened his mouth.
“With my permission… tell me how long was I asleep?”
A tanned maid politely replied. “4 hours, your majesty.”
“Unfortunately, we failed this time.”
The king continued to speak calmly.
“I do not understand everything that happens in the dream. I did not know who I am or my name. I did not understand the events that occured in the dream. The curse is very powerful. The wish to move the dream to one’s desires is difficult. Currently, it’s best to continue enduring it.”
So one month’s dream is one hour in reality. Han Seo Jin is just an imaginary person from the dream, not him. The king let a shabby slave-like life, lacking almost everything.
The king mumbled to himself.
“Curse… this curse has worked for so long, about a year.”
The old vassal urgently bowed forward, as if rebuked by the king.
“Sorry, your majesty. Your servant’s ability is too poor… your servant will bet on his life on finding the cure. We will, without fail, solve your curse!.”
“I am not reprimanding you.”
The king silently shook his head in disagreement.
The intense confusion he had when he first woke up, already disappeared.
“How is the Karsharai clan doing? Are they still imprisoned in their fief?”
“Your majesty.”
The old vassal hardened his face and spoke heavily.
“They were one in-laws with the royal family, but now they are a traitorous family. Confining one’s family in their fief already goes against the law. We are already bending the laws for them.
“...”
“Please do not weaken your heart more. Your subjects petition for the extermination of the Karsharai family has reached the heavens. The Karsharai family must be punished. Please reach a decision about this.”
The king let out a bitterful laugh.
Earl Karsharai. The Earl, who sired the Queen, was once a noble who received the people’s love. Overnight, they were branded as a treasonable family, and imprisoned since long ago to work on their fief.
The old vassal, like a overboiled kettle of water, advised in a grave tone.
“The traitor boldly placed an ancient curse on your majesty, why give mercy to that family?”
